Rumor
by all.out.carby
Summary: Yet another post-"Lockdown" fic. The second from me. Short and a little fuzz.


Here's another I wrote a long time ago. I think it was the night first saw "Lockdown."  
  
--  
  
"Carter!"  
  
  
  
Chuny. Really not the person I wanted to see right now. But, she sprang in front of me regardless. Her mess of copper curls fell around her as she shone with a smile.   
  
  
  
"Well, good morning, Chuny." Sarcasm gets the best of the voice I possess. Maybe she'll take a hint today. Its not that I'm not in the mood for her gossip. Come to think of it, am I ever?   
  
  
  
Not really.  
  
  
  
"Is it true, Dr. Carter?"   
  
  
  
I throw a chart onto the counter and nod towards Haleh. She acknowledges it by picking it up, taking it to finish it elsewhere. Sprained ankle, and low white blood cell count.  
  
  
  
"Don't know what you're talking about."  
  
  
  
"Oh, please," Chuny said. "Come on, Carter."  
  
  
  
"That's Dr. Carter," I say.   
  
  
  
"Everyone's talking about it," she said. "Just tell me if its true. Please?"  
  
  
  
I laugh as I make my way toward to the lounge. I look around.   
  
  
  
But its only Chuny and I.  
  
  
  
"How you find someone else's life so interesting I'll never know."  
  
  
  
"Then just tell me!"  
  
  
  
"If you'll excuse me," I say, "I need to be on my way."  
  
  
  
She sinks back into a smiling pout. "Fine. But you know I'll find out."  
  
  
  
I shake my head as she walks away. The door closes gently behind me and I go to my locker. Its been a long day. All I want to do is get home. But, of course, something must get in the way of that. Another gossiping nurse?  
  
  
  
"Hey, Carter," Haleh says, Chuny ducking behind her.  
  
  
  
"You've got to be kidding me," I chuckle. "Will you guys just leave me alone?"  
  
  
  
"Sure thing," Haleh said. Chuny immediately started groaning in protest at Haleh. As I look back, I see Haleh shooing Her away. I laugh to myself as I begin to pull on a coat from my locker.  
  
  
  
"Sorry, Dr. Carter," Chuny greets me again. I start to speak my being annoyed, but she interrupts me. "Trauma coming in."  
  
  
  
  
--  
  
  
  
  
I spot her instantly across the patient we're working on. Another GSW. Chicago's a dangerous area. She's working just as frantically as I am in the same ways to save this little boy's life. Its funny. We share the same expression when we notice we are working on a five-year-old. A five-year-old with a bullet in his stomach. Poor kid. Slightly more complicated than "poor kid" is mirrored from my eyes to hers. She smiles my way anyway. I smile back. I like that we work together.  
  
  
  
I work feverishly, as does she and the many other people around me. Technically, I'm not in charge of the situation. Chen is. She's an attending, so she gets it. But everyone's looking toward me, I know it. Not to sound vain at all. But, its the way I feel here anyway. I really do love my job. It makes it every bit better to come here each and every day.  
  
  
  
No matter how small I feel, how tired, how sick each day. I'm still here. County General's a large fraction of Dr. John Carter's life.   
  
  
  
I meet her eyes again. They don't disturb my work, even though they should. They're awesome. Awesome as in spectacular. Her eyes, I mean. She watches me, too. But she wouldn't let me interfere with her work either. Soon, we're working again.  
  
  
  
He's stable. She says it herself. I sigh and smile. Haleh and Lydia ready the gurney for the OR. Everyone else leaves the room. Except for her and I.  
  
  
  
We watch it trail away. The group around that small boy taking him away to another place, where he will be encouraged to live. When the hallway chaos slows to a more steady pace, and few people are in sight from that trauma two view, I edge closer to her. She does the same.  
  
  
  
"Wow," she whispers.  
  
  
  
"What?" I ask quietly.  
  
  
  
Her hands smoothly makes its way into mine. I glance downward to it. I smile to myself at the sight of us tied together and pat it happily, tenderly.  
  
  
  
"I don't know," she says. Her grip strengthens. "Thanks for doing it."  
  
  
  
"Helping with that boy?"  
  
  
  
"Putting up with me," she says.  
  
  
  
I smile and bend down to kiss her temples. "You ready to go home?"  
  
  
  
She nods and puts an arm around me. I don't hesitate to do the same to her. I have wanted to do this for an entire day here at the hospital, and haven't seen her once. Not enough. No breaks.  
  
  
  
Tough day.  
  
  
  
We start out the door, into the lounge. We gather our things. We only murmur those commonly talked of "sweet nothings," to one another. We walk out with fresher faces, newer smiles and into the entrance of the ER.  
  
  
  
"There you go, Chuny!" someone calls.  
  
  
  
Chuny squeals and comes up to us. I roll my eyes in mock annoyance. I smile as turn around to see Chuny with a grin, clearly from ear to ear.  
  
  
  
"So that quarantine rumor..." she says, "completely true?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah," Abby says, refreshing that arm's grip on my waist. "A little."  
  
  
  
"Happy now, Chuny?" I ask with a shy smile and a blush to pair.   
  
  
  
She nods solemnly and hurries back to the admit desk. Abby and I turn together and head out the door.  
  
  
  
Someone just won fifty bucks.  
  
  
  
--the end-- 


End file.
